(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lip suitable for attachment on at least one side of a guide rail of a passive seat belt system which is adapted to apply a webbing automatically on an occupant in an automotive vehicle or the like.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Reflecting the recent mandatory requirement for the use of a seat belt system in an automotive vehicle, more and more interests have been drawn on passive seat belt systems adapted to apply and release a webbing automatically. With a view toward facilitating the present invention, one example of such passive seat belt systems will be described first with reference to FIG. 1 which is a partly cross-sectional side view of the exemplary passive seat belt system. Designated at numeral 1 is an occupant, while numeral 2 indicates a seat. A slider 22 is attached to an outer end portion 11 of a webbing 10 by way of an anchor 21. An inner end portion 12 of the webbing 10 is taken up by a retractor 9 provided on a floor 8 of a motor vehicle, so that the webbing 10 is pulled in and out of the retractor 9. The above-mentioned slider 22 is caused to slide in a slider channel 7 which is defined in a guide rail 6. The guide rail 6 extends along a front pillar 3, roofside 4 and an upper part of a center pillar 5. The slider 22 is driven by a drive tape which extends through a tape track 23 and the guide rail 6. The drive tape is driven by a sprocket provided within a sprocket housing 24 and driven by a motor 25.
Let's now assume that an associated door of the motor vehicle has been opened. The webbing 10 is then caused to move to a front end of the guide rail 6, said front end being located on the front pillar 3, by the slider 22 driven by the motor 25, whereby the occupant 1 is allowed to sit in the seat 2 without being obstructed by the webbing 10. When the door is closed, the slider 22 is caused to move to a rear end of the guide rail, said rear end being located on the center pillar 5, so that the webbing 10 is automatically applied to the occupant 1.
Flexible lips are provided respectively on both sides of the guide rail 6 (i.e., on the side of an associated body member and on the side of an associated interior trim), whereby intrusion of foreign materials such as rain water and dust is prevented, possible deterioration of rail parts by sunlight is avoided and sliding noises of the slider are shielded in. A conventional lip structure is now described with reference to FIG. 2 which is a transverse cross-section of the conventional lip structure. The guide rail 6 is interposed between a body member 31 and an interior trim 32 and a slide anchor 34 is caused to slide within the channel 7 defined within the guide rail 6. The outer end portion 11 of the webbing 10 is attached to the exposed end of the slide anchor 34. On both side walls, flexible lips 40,40 are attached as mentioned above, by an desired method, for example, by adhering the flexible lips 40,40 to the outer surfaces of the side walls of the guide rail 6 or fitting the flexible lips 40,40 on the outer surfaces of the side walls of the guide rail 6. A free edge 42 of each lip 40 is bent inwardly so as to maintain the lip 40 in contact with the slide anchor 34 at the free edge 42. In this conventional construction, it is impossible to conceal gaps between the body member 31 and interior trim 32 and the corresponding side walls of the guide rail 6. The conventional construction is hence poor in external appearance. For good external appearance, the above-described gaps must have a constant width. It is however difficult to ensure gaps of a constant width due to deviations in the attachment accuracy of the guide rail and the dimensional accuracy of the interior trim and body member. The width of such a gap on each side of the guide rail hence varies along the length of the guide rail and may be reduced even to zero at some longitudinal part or parts of the guide rail. The conventional construction is therefore not attractive in external appearance.